The city of Madison said a yard waste drop off site will close for the season this week.

The sites close every year on the first weekend in December, the city's streets and recycling coordinator George Dreckmann said in a news release Tuesday. This year the sites close for the winter on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

"We staff the sites with seasonal employees whose term of employment ends at that time," Dreckmann said.

The Streets Division will continue to collect leaves and yard waste at the curb as long as weather permits, he added.

Two of the city's sites are self-service drop offs and will be open through the winter starting Monday. The sites are at 1501 W. Badger Road and 4602 Sycamore Ave. and residents can bring a variety of materials including brush, electronics, recyclables, and mixed rigid plastic Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The city of Madison will begin the season's leaf collection pickup next week.

The Streets Division crew will start collecting leaves Monday and will continue as long as the weather permits through late November or early December.

There is no leaf collection schedule, according to the city news release. The crew begins in the Monday refuse collection area and continues through each district in order of the day of the week. However the collection may be on a different day than the regular refuse schedule depending on the workload.

"We always start leaf collection the first Monday in October because many residents want to get started cleaning out their gardens," Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckmann said. "We will operate with fewer crews until the volume of material picks up," which is expected to be mid-to-late October.

Earlier this year, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County purchased 29 family unit lots in Sun Prairie and will be building homes in both the Uplands and Vandenburg Heights neighborhoods over the next several years, according to a press release. Habitat also recently purchased 24 lots in Fitchburg in the Renaissance in the Park neighborhood and three lots in Southwest Madison.

For individuals and families interested in building with Habitat for Humanity of Dane County starting in 2015, informational meetings will be held:

The Madison Fire Department said ordinances do not permit burning yard waste. A fire within outdoor fireplaces or pits -- with spark arresters in use and fire extinguisher or water source nearby -- are permitted as long as it is attended by a responsible adult.

The fire department also offered reminders on other seasonal fire hazards:

Madison Streets Division crews will not be collecting garbage or recycling on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, according to a release.

Residents who normally have their garbage and recycling collected on Monday will have their material collected on Tuesday, officials said. On Tuesday, crews will collect garbage from residents in both the Monday and Tuesday garbage collection districts.

The Streets Division’s offices and self-help drop off sites will also be closed on Monday, according to the release. The final round of Christmas tree collection will also start back up on Tuesday.

Residents should have their trees, storm-damaged wood debris and garbage and recycling out at the curb for collection by 7 a.m. on Tuesday to ensure collection.